Air China to buy 100 Airbus jets

HONG KONG — Air China is planning to buy 100 Airbus jets to expand its fleet as it seeks to keep up with growing demand from Chinese travelers.

The state-owned airline said late Tuesday that its board approved the plan to buy the plans as well as dispose of six Airbus A340 jets. It did not give any further details such as type of aircraft, cost or timeframe.

The announcement follows French President Francois Hollande’s visit to China last month, when officials inked a deal for China to buy 60 planes from France-based Airbus.

That deal covered the purchase of 42 A320s and 18 A330s.

In March, Air China placed an order for 31 Boeing aircraft worth $4.8 billion at list prices, though airlines typically get a discount.